Mark is married with two children, and comes to the Regional Office from our Lower Trent Area Office in Nottingham, where he has been Area Manager for

the last three years.

Speaking of his new role, Mark says: "What really excites me is the enthusiasm and drive for the environment and all that we do that exists in our staff. My role in directing this energy is what gets me going every day. I want to encourage more people outside our organisation to build the environment into their business and personal lives too.

"I want to work with Midlands communities to create better places to live - now and in the future. We can also help bring prosperity through our work with businesses, especially farmers.

"This means improving local environments as well as working with others to protect human health, prevent pollution and deal with the consequences of climate change. In particular, I want us to be at the forefront of action on fly-tipping. It’s so antisocial. We need to keep working with local authorities and the police to find different ways of educating people and of catching offenders.

"As a business we need to attract the best people to work with us, irrespective of race, disability, gender, sexuality, religion or age. I want the Environment Agency to be seen as somewhere good to work, a flexible and diverse organisation that reflects the social make up of our local communities."

Mark has worked for the Environment Agency and its predecessor, the National Rivers Authority, since 1991. His personal commitment to the environment drives his desire to make the Midlands a better place for people to live in.

Mark adds: "I’ve always had a passion for the environment, probably because I grew up living in Devon and right by the sea. I wanted to work for the most influential organisation on environmental matters, and one that could make a real difference because it had teeth. We are a regulator with the powers to enforce action and work with others to persuade people and businesses to improve their behaviour.

"In my new role, I am keen to tackle some of the key issues faced by the Region, building on the progress made by my predecessor Tony Dean, who achieved so much during his time as Regional Director. For example, in Midlands Region, we will be spending £500 million over the next 10 years on better flood defences to protect peoples’ lives, property & businesses.

"I need people to support us by doing their bit. I appeal to people to have an environmental conscience – don’t assume that there is no point in trying because so many others ignore the environment. This is particularly important when we think about climate change, which is the greatest challenge facing all of us today".

More Information:

The Environment Agency

The Environment Agency for England and Wales is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), set up under the Environment Act 1995, to take an integrated approach to environmental protection and enhancement in England and Wales. We have major responsibilities for controlling industrial pollution and wastes management, regulation of the water environment, and for protection against flooding from rivers and the sea. Our primary aim is to protect and improve the environment and make a contribution towards the delivery of sustainable development through the integrated management of air, land and water. Details of our functions are available on our website, which can be found at www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Mark Sitton-Kent

Mark comes to Solihull from our Trentside Area Office in Nottingham, where he has been Lower Trent Area Manager since September 2002. Before that, he was Area Manager in North Wessex Area, South West Region.

Mark, who has degrees in physical geography, ecology and environmental water management, has worked for the Environment Agency and its predecessor, the National Rivers Authority, since 1991. He was employed initially at the Head Office in Bristol on the National Water Resources Strategy for England and Wales, and later as Regional Water Resources Manager in North East Region.

During his career, he also spent a year as Operations Manager in our National Laboratory Service. During this time he was responsible for the laboratory in Nottingham.

Environment Agency Midlands Region

The Environment Agency’s Midlands Region covers a rich diversity of urban and rural landscapes and culture. Extending from the Humber to the Severn Estuary, it includes Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Stoke on Trent, Coventry, Shrewsbury, Stratford on Avon, Worcester and Gloucester, as well as the wild uplands of the Peak District and the agricultural plains of Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

The main pressures on the Midlands environment are from:
- pollution, as more cars take to the road
- climate change caused by global warming, and
- increasing calls on essential water resources.

Pressures from flooding, land contamination, and volumes of waste also add to the challenges we face.

Regional partnerships will play an ever more important role in moving towards a sustainable future for the Midlands.